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Images of rainbows are being discouraged in a Catholic school in Canada because they are seen as too politically-charged for the anti-homophobia club that wants to use them.

The organiser of the unofficial anti-homophobia club at St Joseph’s Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario was discouraged from using rainbow banners to promote the school’s Social Justice Week, CTV News and parentcentral.ca. report.

Leanne Iskander, 16, said she was told the rainbow couldn’t be used because it was associated with gay pride, a taboo inside Catholic schools.

The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board said in a statement that the rainbow banners had not been banned by the school. Instead, the school had decided to use material designed by students that promoted its Social Justice Week.

One of those items, a bookmark, featured coloured bars that illustrated a rainbow.

The statement from the board said the banners and posters in question were not allowed to be posted because they had not been approved by the school board ahead of the event.

“This does not constitute a ban, rather an adherence to a process of which students were well aware,” the statement read.

In absence of the rainbow flags, the club at St Joseph’s baked rainbow cupcakes.